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"Kitimat Residents Vote No on Northern Gateway"

"OTTAWA — The backers of the Northern Gateway pipeline are vowing to plow ahead despite a blunt rejection by citizens of Kitimat, the community that stands to gain the most from the $7.9 billion megaproject.

The unofficial results of a Saturday plebiscite showed 1,793 voted against the project, or 58.4 per cent, compared to 1,278 who endorsed it, or 41.6 per cent, according to the District of Kitimat.

The results of the non-binding plebiscite will be considered today by the Kitimat municipal council, which has the option of declaring that it shares the community’s opposition to the project, according to Mayor Joanne Monaghan.

The company — taking advantage of the absence of spending limits for B.C. municipal plebiscites — raised the stakes by waging an aggressive campaign."